ATP is produced by cellular respiration in your human body cells. There are a variety of enzymes that work to produce ATP, but one of those enzymes is called phosphofructokinase-1. This enzyme is sensitive to blood acidity. Blood can become more acidic if a patient is in respiratory distress.
For a patient suffering from respiratory distress, the increase in blood acidity further effects the functionality of the enzymes. Some variables that have an effect on enzyme function are listed below:
The pH. Every enzyme has an optimal pH at which it works best
The surrounding temperature. Too high a temperature can denature an enzyme